Dental extracting forceps with interchangeable beaks



June 17, 1952 T. F. PRATI-1ER DENTAL EXTRACTING FORCEPS WITH INTERCHANGEABLE BEAKS Filed June l, 1951 Thomas F. Pra/her INVENToR.

Patented June 17, 1952 DENYIFA-Ii-` EX'IfRAC'IINGrl FORGEPS.-

INTEBCHANGEABLEBEAKS.-

rhomasfr". Prather, wesen, Calif. application June 1, 1951sefiaiNoizzam- The.. present-- inventionl relates,- tocertain K new andi.usefull improvements. in'` dental extracting forceps.- whereinA the, latter is. characterized bya single pain of-4 pliers.- having;` expresslydesigned force applying-i jaws 1 equipped.- with readily applicable and. removable interchangeable-.- beaks, the jaws'- being noveland:- thel beaks, correspondingly novel. j

Asz the:y preceding statement.V of. the.v invention implica, denta-l-fsurgeons havebeen? confronted with thefproblemof keepingf themselves` equipped with innumerable.V forceps; There aref forceps fort upper and lower extractions all'. hav-ing;l peculiarly essentially shapedabeaks-to accommodate thertafslcfofi extracting; molars,., bicuspids,-. incisors and .so onfand: sofforth. It-followsthat there-has longexisted? a ne'edx` fors interchangeable; readily applicablevr and-2 removablesbeaks.- In".thefci'rcumstancesg. the priori' art" tof which theY invention rela-tes. revealsmany?"` and varied concepts involving the adoption and use of interchangeable beaks. Therefore; itistfie"purpose of the present invention tov structurally, functionally and otherwise improve upon a forceps-comprising a single pair. of. pliers with .especially constructed jaws to accommodate" allvv of thenecessarily different-forms of beaks required'- for over-all'4 dental extracticniwork. l

In carrying. out-the p'ri-n'cipl'esV of the present invention;- a" unique instrumentality has been evolved and produced which is possessed of the prerequisites of simplicity in construction, expediency in applying and removing the beaks, economy and in which manufacturers, repairmen and dentists will find their respective requirements and needs fully met, contained and effectually available.

More explicitly, one phase of the invention has to do with the beaks themselves, these being precision made and each characterized by a body having a suitable jaw face and having, in addition, a keying rib, a lateral retention lug on the rib, and a resilient detent also forming a part of the rib.

Then, too, novelty is predicated on the jaws on the stated pliers wherein said jaws are characterized by a groove providing a keyway, a lateral bore providing a socket for the lug, and a substantially flat blunt end on the outer or free end of the jaw providing an abutment and keeper for the coacting resilient detent, whereby to permit the beaks to be inserted and interlocked with a snap-on action.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description 5 Claims. (01232442)` v andthe accompanying sheet ofillustrativedrawings. i

In the accompanying sheetlof. drawings, ,wlierein klike numerals areempl'oyed toE designate like partsithroughouttheviews: Y Figure A1'. ist-Ya. fragmentaryperspective'. view showing,the-completeinstrumentality embodying the especially constructed, pliers and. the. cor-re.- sponding especially constructed attachable. and detachablelbeaks, one beak: being iniposition--and theother -one removed Figure: 2. is aside elevational view of, the,L com.- plete forceps ready for use.

Figure 3- is a fragmentary view. insection and elevation@ takenapproximatelyonv` the; planeof line 3F-31 of-.Figureffig looking. inthe; direct-ioni. of the arrows; and,

- Figure 4-Y is a; crossfsectiononthe linefV 4f--4f of Fgure. Y

In' the drawings the: part: of: the: over-alli irrstrumentality called: the pliers is.denoted'. by the numeral. 6:, These pliers embody' conventional handle-equippedlevers and lll-f disposed incustomarycrossed relationship and. pivotallycon;- nected together at f2.. The. levers, beyond` the pivot,-, terminate in. duplicate; opposed?. pressure applying: jaws I4# and".l Ii Each jaw` isi the: same and. a description` of'l one: will suicef for: both. To this. end, a: flat anvil. surface- |118; is; provided witli.V ai central longitudinall groove: constituting a -keyway-f 2,0; additiom there is a rightangir.- larly disposed polygonal bore 22 which provides a lug accommodating socket. The outer or free end of the jaw is substantially flat and provides an abutment 24 which is sometimes referred to as the keeper. The readily applicable and removable beaks are denoted by the numerals 26 and 28 and here again these are duplicate mated units. In practice beaks will be paired for all required upper and lower forceps use. Basically, however, each beak is the same and comprises a rigid body portion 30 with a suitable jaw face l 32, said body portion being provided on its outwardly disposed side with a longitudinal rib 34 constituting a key, said rib being provided intermediate its ends with a lateral stabilizing and retaining lug 36. The outer end of the rib is provided with a substantially V-shaped slightly resilient detent 38 which is adapted to releasably engage and bear against the keeper or abutment 24 in the manner shown. It follows that the key 34 iits into the keyway 20, the lug 36 into the socket 22 and the detent 38 engages and bears against the abutment 24. It will be evident that jaws and beaks having these well chosen jointure "claimed as new is:

features are mechanically compatible and coact in providing for reliable retention of the beaks on their companion jaws. The applied mechanical principles are utilized to afford the user the assurance that the beaks will not displace themselves regardless of the rm anchorage of the tooth roots being worked upon. With this constructionthe.- dentist has at his disposal interchangeable beaks for all necessaryy requirements. He need only select the particular one most adapted to the case in hand to accomplish results with requisite expediency and dependability. The detents are in effect latches and aid in the snap-on and snap-01T functions of the unique beaks.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to inI actual practice provided no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is 1. Dental forceps comprising a pair of pliers l'embodying crossedpivotally connected lever handlesterminating at their forward Working c nds yin duplicate jaws, said jaws having their opposed "faces provided with central longitudinal grooves providing keyways and having their intermediate portions laterally bored and providing lug Ireceiving sockets, the outer ends of said jaws being blunt and providing detent abutments, and

readily attachable and detachable beaks carried -by the respective jaws, each beak having a key l with a lateral lug, and also having a detent.

`2. Dental forceps comprising a pair of pliers embodying crossed pivotally connected lever han- `dles terminating at their forward working ends in duplicate jaws, said jaws having their opposed faces provided with central longitudinal grooves providing keyways and having their intermediate portions laterally bored and providing lug receiving sockets, vthe outer ends of said .jaws being blunt and providing detent abutments, and a pair of readily applicable andrete'nt projecting from its outer end portion and releasably engaging the cooperating abutment.

3. Dental forceps comprising a pair of pliers embodying crossed plvotally connected lever handles terminating at their forward working ends in duplicate jaws, said jaws having their opposed faces provided with central longitudinal grooves providing keyways and having their intermediate portions laterally bored and providing lug-receiving sockets, the outer.ends of said jaws being blunt and providing detent abutments, and a detachable beak mounted on each jaw, each beak embodying a body portion provided on its outward side with a longitudinal keying rib keyed in the keyway of the associated jaw, a lug projecting from said rib and fitting into the adjacent socket, and a resilient detent bearing against the adjacent abutment.

' 4. As anew article of manufacture a quick attachable beak embodying a body having a central longitudinal keying rib of polygonal crosssection, said rib having a lateral resilient detent at its outer end and a stabilizing lug projecting laterally from its intermediate portion, saidlug also being polygonal in cross-section;

' 5. Dental extraction forceps comprising a pair of pliers embodying crossed pivotally connected levers terminating at their forward working ends in jaws, the outer ends of said jaws being substantially flat and therefore blunt and providing detent Iaccommodating abutments and the intermediate portions of said jaws having opposed transverse bores, the latter being at right angles to the longitudinal axes of said jaws, constituting lug accommodating sockets 'and being polygonal in cross-section, readily attachable and detachable snap-on beaks carried by the respective jaws, each beak having a body with a jaw face, an integral lateral lug fitting into its complemental socket, and an integral lateral detent engaging itsy complemental abutment.

' THOMAS F. PRATHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

